Mountain Trail Campers EDX Hardfloor: Review

Michael Borg — 14 April 2015
Camper Review

When travelling around Australia, roughing it old-school style doesn’t always guarantee a pleasurable experience. That’s where the team at Mountain Trail Campers comes in. With over half a million dollars invested in research and development before releasing the EDX to the public, plus more features than the Titanic itself, this camper is purposely aimed to impress Mr Fussy!

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

The EDX’s smart, sophisticated style could easily fool you into thinking it’s nothing more than a tar-hogging city dweller when, in reality, nothing could be further from the truth. One feature that gives its offroad intentions away is the optional, sleek EROK rock sliders.

From the RHS tent frame to the top notch finish, this camper just oozes quality. The superior finish can be put down to the fact that all the panels are professionally laser cut, which offers consistent precision, day in and day out. The manufacturing method is similar to that of a motor vehicle, with more than 300 laser cut body panels, so you can simply replace a damaged panel, which is a far cry from your average welded tub-style camper.



The independent suspension has been custom-designed by the engineers at Mountain Trail Campers and, let me tell you, it works an absolute treat. As we crested dunes and dropped into ruts, it was as if the camper was on rails. The only downfall, especially if you’re towing on super soft sand like us silly buggers, is the Tare weight of 1300kg. But, at the end of the day, a bit of extra weight is the trade-off for being dead-set jam-packed with features. Plus, it’s got a respectable ball weight of 130kg so the camper is well balanced overall.

INTERIOR

The camper is powered by twin 105Ah deep-cycle batteries and an advanced Redarc battery management system that allows you to really monitor what’s going on. This system can power the whole setup for a minimum of five days. Plus, it’s also got AC, DC and solar charging ability as standard, and a third battery upgrade and solar panels are also available extras. Little things like LED lights over the clothing drawers, two touch dimmer lights, USB and 12V sockets and a 600W pure sine wave inverter make this camper a real treat to camp in. There’s plenty of room for an extra bed on the 2400x1800mm hardfloor. Plus, if you want to get fancy, there’s even the option of adding an ensuite as well as a Webasto diesel hot water service with shower and ducted heating. Who needs a hotel?

THE WRAP UP

Well, I’ll tell you what. I’m only a few weeks away from a two-month trip up to Cape York in what I thought was going to be a cracking setup (my old faithful home-built rooftop tent camper) but one thing’s for sure – the EDX is looking pretty damn good right about now! It’s got everything you need to tackle anything from a weekend up the mountains to a full scale expedition in absolute comfort, yet it still offers you that true camping experience we all aspire to achieve.

While it pains me to say it, the EDX has left me wondering why I’ve been roughing it for more than 20 years. You could say I’m getting soft, but I’d prefer to think I’m getting smarter and recognise good value for a camper trailer in this class of this calibre.

HITS & MISSES

I liked…

  • Simple and easy for overnight set-up
  • Tough and reliable design
  • Plenty of storage

I would have liked…

  • Not to have to unpack the bikes from storage to set-up the awning
  • A bit more ground clearance
  • A little less overall weight

Check out the full feature in issue #88 May 2015 of Camper Trailer Australia magazine.

Tags

Mountain Trail Campers EDX Hardfloor Mountain Trail EDX camper review test camper trailer